


The Dark Gift

by Tarlan



Series: Dark Gift [1]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV), Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Vampire Turning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-23
Updated: 2004-09-23
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:30:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lestat chances upon Vin Tanner and makes him a vampire, he sets in motion events that will see The Magnificent Seven ride forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dark Gift

Lestat gave a grin that could have been described as feral, one that displayed the wickedly sharp fangs that allowed him to feed, but Louis knew this was a smile of pure pleasure. His night's work was complete and the reward was the sight of two mortal men made vampire sleeping peacefully in each other's arms as the dawn approached.

"Are they not beautiful, Louis? See how I have made them. Such a fine pair."

Louis had to smile in appreciation even though he abhorred what Lestat had done to these two males but he had to admit that Lestat had exquisite taste. These fledglings were beautiful, complimenting each other so perfectly. One had long strands of sun-kissed hair, the colour of golden wheat that was ripe for harvesting. The other had a thick mane of luscious, soft brown hair that cascaded in curls to just below his creamy shoulder. Their mortal ages had differed by more than a decade, which was nothing in vampire terms but far more noticeable in human terms. Lestat had revitalized both, taking over half of those years from the rugged features of the elder mortal... or perhaps it was just the sleep-softened expression that had leached away those years, erasing the lines of hardship and grief. Whatever the cause, both men looked young and beautiful: their faces smooth and as pale as alabaster, lips pale but so enticing nonetheless. Tonight they would feed and, flushed with blood, they would be...

"Perfection."

Louis sighed. He had not wanted to see either of these two mortals die and, until the last moment, he had assumed Lestat had chosen them as an exquisite repast rather than as new companions. Certainly, he had entertained no hope for the second, never expecting Lestat to make a new companion barely a night after the last one was brought across.

Vincent.

Such a lovely name. Vincent. With his keen, sapphire-blue eyes that had pierced the darkness with such ease. They said each Vampire came across with his own unique gifts. Vincent had the sight, and Louis wondered what other gifts he might possess. And what of this new fledgling? This companion that Vincent begged from Lestat before Louis had drawn him away to assist him with his first feed.

Christopher.

Why had Lestat agreed to make this new companion for Vincent? Or had this always been Lestat's plan, to make both of them together, to bring them both across so they could be together through all time?

Of course, they would all have to move on now, and he found himself missing his beloved Claudia and the way she loved to make all those arrangements.

Claudia was dead, destroyed in Paris by a theater of vampires who had condemned her to death as an abomination. Louis had wanted to blame Lestat but, truth be told, it was he that had begged his sire to bring the child across, never once considering the devastating effects it could have on Claudia... a grown woman forever in the body of a child.

Almost a decade had passed since then and he had found himself drawn back to Lestat only recently, following the exuberant creature as he slowly made his way across America from his beloved New Orleans to the city of San Francisco. They had stopped in many of these small frontier towns but the pickings were slim, and their feeding was bound to draw attention very quickly now there were four of them. However, the dawn was almost upon them so no decisions would be made until after nightfall. Louis watched as Lestat pulled down the lid, sealing the two sleepers into their daytime tomb and then move to the second of the two coffins that traveled with them.

"Come, Louis. Lie with me tonight."

Louis could see the arousal and the need in the bright blue eyes of his sire and, as always, his determination to stay separate failed with Louis fooling himself that he did so only because there was not enough time to find another suitable resting place. Louis crawled into the welcoming embrace and closed his eyes, his head pillowed on Lestat's shoulder as the first rays of the sun bled across the landscape to begin the new day.

****

Chris awoke with a start, eyes opening wide. He was sealed inside a box of some description and yet he knew with uncanny certainty that it was dusk. He could feel the caress of the long shadows as they traced a path across the room outside with their inky fingers. He drew his senses back with alarm when he realised he was lying in a cold embrace, his mind screaming out in loss as he felt Vin's lifeless body beneath his questing fingers, his preternatural vision falling upon the white mask of Vin's face.

Suddenly, Vin's eyes snapped open and Chris was caught within the sapphire gaze, seeing equal shock registering upon the pale features.

"Chris?"

"Vin?"

Chris moaned as his mouth was taken in a forceful kiss, a tongue pushing between his parted lips, possessing him deeply. It should have mattered, he should not have felt this desire coursing through him but it seemed as if every fiber of his being came alive beneath the onslaught of Vin's touch, igniting a passion so deep that he felt it tingle to the very tips of his hair.

The lid was pulled back and they gazed up into the familiar boyish face of the golden-haired creature that had brought them into this new world of darkness.

"Aahh... my two sleeping beauties have awoken... with a kiss."

"Lestat."

Chris wound his arms tightly around his companion, holding Vin close, adoring the way Vin's arms enfolded him in return. He stared up at the creature that had come to him last night as he searched for Vin Tanner. Vin had been missing since the previous evening and Chris could swear he had known the exact moment that Vin's heart had stopped beating, feeling an emptiness in his soul that had not been there moments before. Yet still he went on searching, desperate to find his friend, not wanting to believe what he already knew deep down in his soul: that Vin was dead.

He remembered riding out passed the old mine, recalled the downdraft of cold air that preceded his first sight of the creature that had called himself Lestat. Chris sat up, his fingers leaping to his throat as he remembered how Lestat had dragged him from his horse as if he were a mere child, holding him close, feet no longer touching the ground as sharp teeth sank into his flesh. The world had started to spin. He recalled the pleasure and the pain, the feel of his lifeblood being drawn swiftly from his body. Images of the past had flashed before him; of Sarah and Adam, of his friends... of Vin.

"I can give you Vincent forever."

The words had rolled over his senses, a siren call, and his mind had cried out for Vin, his imminent death freeing him from all inhibition, from all concern of how such thoughts and actions were viewed in society. His desire for Vin had flowed through him and he had cried softly, knowing Vin was dead and wanting to follow this man he cherished above all others into that darkness.

As the final slow beats of his heart had thrummed in his ears, Chris had found his mouth being forced against a gash in the creature's pale white breast and he sucked greedily, unable to resist the call of his own blood that filled his attacker.

He remembered the horror of the next few minutes, of the convulsions that had shook his frame as his mortal body died, only to be reborn as one of the night. When it was over Chris had bathed in a crystal clear pond, amazed by the life he had found teeming within the still waters. He had seen strange lights swirling around them, was certain he had seen trees turn to smile at him, stretching their thin branches towards him as if begging for his touch. Time had passed with extraordinary speed as the night raced towards a new day and, though he had begged of Lestat to allow him to search for Vin, his eyes had grown heavier as the daylight approached.

His last memory before awakening in Vin's death-like embrace, had been of the wind whipping through his hair as Lestat carried him back to the old mine.

A small smile of wonder crossed his face. Lestat had promised him Vin for eternity. Now, here he was, lying in his beloved's arms.

Vin's hands drifted along his arms, his voice soft and yet rich with a warmth that Chris had dared not notice before. He was drawn back into Vin's embrace and he stared, with new eyes, at Vincent Tanner, no longer seeing the scruffy bounty hunter who had become his closest friend. Instead, he saw a strangely exotic, compelling creature; a brother who touched a place deep inside him. He saw his one true love.

A whisper of unspoken words brushed across his mind and Chris grinned. The silent communication that had caught them from the first time their eyes met now had true substance. He could hear Vin's thoughts, could sense Vin's desire for him burning in the cold but beautiful body.

"So, Vincent. Do you like my dark gift to you?"

"Yeah." The word was breathed rather than spoken, a soft sigh of incredible pleasure that burst through their joined minds.

"Come, my beauties. The night is young and you must feed."

****

Louis sighed with pleasure and pain as he watched the two new fledglings feed, strangely compelled to watch as they moved as one, offering the throat of their victim to each other in turn. Most new fledglings went into a feeding frenzy; too hungry or too uncontrolled to savor the kill but Louis could see that these two were different. Neither wasted a single droplet of the precious blood of this murderer they had captured, slowly draining the lifeblood from the man. They let the dry husk fall to the ground unheeded as they moved together, mouths devouring each other reverently, licking and tasting, sharing the spilled blood that had flowed into their mouths.

When they released each other, Lestat nodded in approval, seeing the flush of blood that disguised the paleness of their flesh.

"It is time to move on."

"I wanna say goodbye to some good friends."

Louis saw Chris nod in agreement at Vin's words and he watched as the pair slipped into the well-lit saloon in the small town. The smell of cheroots, and of whiskey and sweat mixed with the almost overpowering, cloying scent of human blood filled the air but Louis ignored it all and took a seat in the darker shadows near the back. He watched as the two men moved towards a group of five mortals, wondering whether they would be foolish enough to start a feeding frenzy here but, to his surprise, they sat down with these men and whiled away an hour, drinking whiskey and laughing before bidding them a final goodbye.

By morning, they were far from the small frontier town, and Louis took one last gaze at the sleeping Christopher and Vincent, who were wrapped in each other's arms as they awaited the coming of night. Louis snuggled down into Lestat's welcoming arms and wondered, anew, what had possessed his sire to make these two new brothers for him. Eventually, as the sun's rays crept across the land, he decided that he might never understand Lestat, and he closed his eyes and slept, dreaming of the nights to come, and of the two new brother's who would be hunting by his side.

THE END


End file.
